The showcase was held at Guildhall
(Picture: Shutterstock / I Wei Huang)Evening Standard trainees took part in a two-day showcase on apprenticeships at Guildhall in London this week.
ApprenticeFutures, which is run by the Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Markets, is an annual event that brings together large numbers of employers, providers, colleges and universities to showcase apprenticeships, as well as getting insight from apprentices from their experiences.
The Stationers started hosting the Apprentice Careers events from 2018 and delivered their first London Careers Festival in 2019.
The Guildhall events allow a range of industries to promote and advocate for apprenticeships and provides young people with a chance to engage with employers and find out about more about potential opportunities.
Jonathan Kanengoni, an apprentice journalist at the Evening Standard, who will be taking part in the event, shared his experience of being on an apprenticeship.
He said: “To be able to get an apprenticeship at such an established news platform has been a dream come true for me.
“I have always been a hands-on person, and this type of opportunity, where you can take part in the NCTJ diploma but also gain that all-important real-life experience that really shapes your skills in the trade, is the perfect combination for me.
“The learning and working balance are key to career development. I strongly advocate for apprenticeships and the doors they can open for young people in multiple industries.”
Syraat Al Mustaqeem, Evening Standard Apprentice, began her placement in September 2021 alongside studying for her NCTJ diploma.
She said: “As I am just starting out in my career, it’s been great to join the Standard at a time where things are changing to a more digital direction, where I get to learn how that digital space is built.
“The support from the editors has been immense and with the NCTJ learning supplementing that process, it has been a great transition into the industry. The soft skills have been as much of a learning experience as the newswriting and pitching I have refined on my journey so far.
“This opportunity has really opened my options in the future as a reporter – and generally as a writer – with a better understanding of how a newsroom functions and how to refine a story to meet the interests of our readers.”
